Heel and method of covering the same



, March 26, 1935. w. H. NUTT 1,995,322

HEEL AND .METHOD OF COVERING THE SAME Fileq May 15, 1951 nunluuunllnln I, ,1,"

Patented Mar. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES HEEL AND METHOD OF COVERING THE SAME William H. Nutt, Beverly, Mass.,' assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 15, 1931, Serial No. 537,635

26 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in methods of and apparatus for use in covering heels and to improvements in covered heels as articles of manufacture. Although not necessarily limited thereto, the invention is herein illustrated with special reference to heels having so-called triplegrooved breasts and to methods of and apparatus for use in covering such heels.

United States Letters Patent No. 1,761,359, granted June 3, 1930' upon my application, discloses a heel having a triple-grooved breast, such as that above referred to, the grooves, as illustrated in said Letters Patent, being straight and extending heightwise of the heel in closely adjacent parallel relation along the middle of the heel breast, and the heel having a one-piece covering upon its rear, side and breast surfaces, the opposite end portions of which are tucked into the middle groove in the breast. On account of the proximity of the outer grooves to the middle groove, in the breast of the heel above referred to, the middle groove is enabled to expand to facilitate the tucking operation and subsequently to contract to insure that the tucked-in cover portions will be tightly held in place in the groove.

The present invention, as herein illustrated, provides a method of covering a heel having three closely adjacent expansible breast'grooves, which consists in applying a covering to the rear, side and breast surfaces of the heel, tucking the opposite end portions of the covering into the two outer grooves in the breast, applying a narrow strip of covering material to the portion of the heel breast between the outer grooves, expanding the outer grooves, and tucking the lateral margins of the strip into the outer grooves beside the previously tucked-in covering portions while the outer grooves are expanded. As illustrated, the tucking of the narrow covering strip is accomplished by a tucking tool the use of which expands the outer grooves while the margins of the strip are being tucked therein and the subsequent withdrawal of which permits the outer grooves to contract so that the margins of both the main covering and the panel which is formed by the narrow strip are firmly and securely held in place in the outer grooves. Conveniently, as illustrated, the margins of the panel may be tucked in by the tucking'tool as the panel is being laid in place.

The breast panels for a plurality of heels may be formed from a single strip of covering material of uniform width and indeterminate length and, as illustrated, an end portion of the panel strip is first applied to a heel breast and margins of the strip tucked into, the grooves in the breast and thereafter the applied portionof the strip-[is severed from therest of the strip. This practice facilitates the operation of applying the panel and tends to avoid any unnecessary-loss of time and covering material. 1

In order further to facilitate the operation of covering a heel having a triple-grooved breast, and in accordance with another illustrated aspect of the invention, the opposite end'portions of the main covering for the heel are first laid uponthe heel breast in overlapped relation above the middle breast groove and thereafter. theseportions are simultaneously trimmed along a line 'gaged from the ,middle groove. The spacing of. the grooves is preferably made such as to insure that the above-described trimming operation will result in providing just the requisite amount of surplus covering material for tucking into the outer grooves.

As also illustrated herein there maybe 'employed for tucking in the margins of'th'e portions of the heel breast covering at the outer sides of the cover-receiving grooves, a tucking tool comprising two spaced tucking disks and two rolls arranged one adjacent to the outer side of each disk for pressing and smoothing the portions of the covering on the surface of the heel breast adjacent to the grooves while the marginal portions of the covering are being tucked into the grooves by the disks. I I

The invention further consists in a heel having two parallel grooves in its breast, cover members upon the portions of the breast face of the heel adjacent to the outer sides of the grooves having marginal portions tucked into the grooves, and a cover panel of uniform width upon the portion of the heel breast between the grooves, the panel having itslateral margins tucked into the groove beside the tucked-in marginal portion of said cover members. In one illustrated embodiment of this feature of the invention the parallel grooves into which the cover niargins'are tucked extend heightwise of the'heel along the middle portion'of the heel breast; a'third groove is provided between the grooves which receive the cover margin; and a filler member, inserted in the third or middle groove, serves to maintain tight joints between the tucked-in cover margins by positively preventing expansion of the outer grooves. In another illustrated embodiment of this feature of the invention, the parallel cover-margin-receiving grooves are located'one in each lateral margin of the heel breast. In either case, however, the fact that the grooves are parallel makes it practicable to supply the material for the breast indeterminate length, thus securing the advantages above referred to in connection with the use of such a strip. Moreover, the provision upon the breast of a heel of a panel which is of uniform width throughout the height of the heel breast adds to the attractiveness and stylish appearanceof the heel.

Other aspects and features of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a wooden Cuban heel having a triple-grooved breast, illustrating the method of trimming the end portions of the covering for the rear, side and breast faces of the heel;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the heel shown in Fig. 1 illustrating the method of tucking the lateral margins of the side covering into the grooves in the heel breast;

Fig.3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating a further step in the process of covering the heel;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a heel in process "of being covered, illustrating particularly the application ofanarrowstrip of covering material to the groovedportion of the heel breast;

Fig. 5 ha longitudinal sectional view of 'a heel in process of being covered;

,Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a heel illustrating a further step in the covering operation;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of a completely coveredheel; I

.Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the heel shown in Fig. 7; and,

Figs. 9 and'lo are, respectively, perspective and cross-sectional views of a covered Cuban heel illustrating a 'rnodification of the construction shown in the precedingviews. 7

Referring to the drawing, 12 indicates a wooden .Cuban heel having a-triple-grooved heel breast.

As shown, the breast of the heel is provided with three closely adjacent straight parallel grooves 'or slots 14, 16, 18, which extend heightwise of the heel along the middle portion of the heel breast.

grooves to facilitate the tucking operation and to receive a filler member, such as the member 24 (Fig. 5) the use of which facilitates the maintenance of tight joints between the tucked-in cover margins, as will hereinafter be explained.

In covering the illustrated heel, the covering is applied in the usual way to the rear, sides and breast surfaces of the heel, the opposite end portions of the cover being overlapped above the central portion of the heel breast. As shown in Fig. 1, the overlapped portions of the covering 20 which overlie the middle groove 18 are trimmed simultaneously by means of a trimming knife 28 which is projected into the groove 18 and drawn lengthwise along the groove, the side walls of which function to gage the location of the trimming out. As shown, the spacing of the grooves 14, 16 and 18 is such that this trimming operation results in the provisionof just the reqpanels in the form of a strip of uniform width and uisite amount of surplus cover material for tucking into the outer grooves 14 and 16. It will be seen that only a single trimming operation is required to trim both end portions of the side covering to prepare them for the tucking operation.

The tucking of the trimmed end portions of the covering 20 may advantageously be effected as illustrated in Fig. 2 by means of a rotary tucking tool having two disk-like tucking blades 32 and two roller members 34. The blades 32 are constructed and arranged to enter the outer grooves 14 and 16 simultaneously to tuck the cover margins therein. The roller members 34 are constructed and arranged to press and smooth the portions of the covering on the surface of the heel breast adjacent to the grooves while the tucking is being effected and thus to facilitate the smooth laying of the covering upon the breast of the heel. The inner side walls of the grooves 14 and 16 are capable of yielding inwardly if necessary to facilitate this tucking operation.

' The portion of the heel breast between the grooves 14 and 16 is next covered, preferably as illustrated in Figs. '3 and 4, by means of material in the form of a strip of uniform width and indeterminate length, such as the strip 35 shown in Fig. 4. In covering this portion of the heel breast one end of the strip 35 is placed in position at one end of the narrow breast surface to be covered and the strip is simultaneously laid throughout the height of the heel breast and the lateral margins of the 'strip tucked into the grooves 14 and 16 by means of a rotary tucking tool, such as the tool 36, afterwhich the applied portion of the strip is severedfrom the rest of the strip by any suitable means, such as the scissors shown at 43 in Fig. 6, carebeing taken to see that the severed portion is long enough and so applied to the heel breast as to provide a suitable amount of surplus at each end for overlapping the seat and attaching faces of the heel.

The illustrated tucking tool 36 comprises a roll 38 which may be made of rubber or other suitable yielding material, and two disk-like tucking blades which are arranged at opposite ends of the roll-38, the blades being spaced to enter the grooves 14 and 16. As the tool is advanced from one end of the heel breast toward the other the yielding roll 38 progressively presses the strip 35 against the outer edges of the narrow portions '42 which remain between the grooves in the heel breast while the disks 40 progressively tuck in the lateral margins of the strip.

The tucking of the margins of the strip 35 is facilitated by the expansion of the grooves 14 and 16 as the narrow portions 42 are bent inwardly under the action of thetuoking disks 40. When the disks 40 are finally withdrawn from the grooves the margins ofthe covering strip- 22 are tucked into the grooves beside the previously tucked-in margins of the side covering and the narrow breast portions 42 are permitted to return to their normal positions, thuscontracting the grooves 14 and 116 so that tight joints 44 are formed between the meeting margins of the coverings 20 and 22 and these margins are securely held in the grooves. As shown, the filler strip 24 may be inserted endwise into the middle groove 18 to hold the outer grooves 14 in their contracted conditions and thereby to insure that the cover margins will permanently be held close'together. The filler strip 24 also closes the mouth of the groove 18 so that a continuous surface is provided beneath thecover strip 22, thus obviating any possibility of a depression being formed in the After the filler piece has been inserted the margins of the side covering 20 and the cover strip 22 which project beyond the attaching and toplift-receiving faces of the heel are turned inwardly and secured to these faces as-shown in Fig. 6.

By means of the above-described method a narrow panel or bead is provided in lieu of the single joint formed in the heel illustrated in the Letters Patent hereinbefore referred to. This panel may, if desired, be of a color to contrast with the color of the covering for the rest of the heel, thereby adding a distinctive style feature to'the covered heel. The tight joints 44 also contribute to the neat and attractive appearance of the heel.

In Figs. 8 and 9 there is illustrated a modification of the construction shown by the preceding'figures; Inaccordance with this modificaftion'l'two grooves. 140 and 160 for receiving the cover margins are located near the lateral breast corners of the heel. As shown, the grooves 140 and 160- are straight and parallel to each other and these grooves are made capable of expanding and contracting in order'to facilitate the tucking operation by the provision of two grooves 180, which are arranged one closely adjacent to the inner side wall of each of the grooves 140 and 160. In covering the heel shown in Figs.

'of'the c'overing 20 and the strip 22, respectively,

into the cover-receiving grooves or slots 14, 16

are not claimed herein but form the subjectmatter of a divisional application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 739,157, filed August 9, 1934.

Having described my invention, what I' claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That method of covering a heel having three closely adjacent expansible breast grooves which 'consists in applying acovering to the rear, side and breast'surfaces of the heel, tucking the opposite end portions of said covering into the outer grooves in the breast, applying a narrow strip of covering material to the portion of the breast between the outer grooves, and expanding the outer grooves and tucking the lateral margins of said strip into the outer grooves be- .side the previously tucked-in covering portions while the outer grooves are. expanded.

. 2. That improvement in methods of covering heels having triple-grooved breasts which consists in applying a covering to the rear, side and breast surfaces of a heel, tucking the opposite end portions of said covering into the outer grooves in the breast, applying a strip of. covering material to the portionof the breast between theouter grooves, and simultaneously tucking the lateral margins of said strip "into the outer grooves beside the previously tucked-in covering portions. I

3. That improvement in methods of covering heels having triple-grooved breasts which consists in applying a covering to the rear, side and breast surfaces of a heel, simultaneously and progressively tucking the opposite end portions of said covering into the outer grooves in the breast, applying a strip of covering material to the portion of the breast between the outer grooves, and simultaneously and progressively tucking the lateral'margins of said strip into the outer grooves beside the previously tucked-in covering portions while said strip is being:applied. a

'4. That method of covering a heel having three closely adjacent expansible breast grooves'which consists in applying a covering to the rear,- side and breast surfaces of the heel, tucking the opposite end portions of said covering into the outer grooves in the breast, laying a narrow covering strip progressively upon the portion of the breast between the outer grooves, and effecting relative movement between the heel and a tucking tool progressively to expand the outer grooves and tuck the lateral margins of said striptherein and to allow said grooves subsequently to contract to retain both coverings securely in the outer grooves. 1

5. That improvement in methods of covering heels of the type having two expansible coverreceiving grooves in the heel breast which consists in applying a cover member to the rear and side faces of a heela'nd applying margins of said cover member to the'portions of the heel, breast adjacent to the outer sides of. said grooves, tucking marginal portions of said cover members into said grooves, applying a separate cover.- ing to the portion of the heel breast between said grooves, and expanding said grooves and tuckingmarginal portions of said separate covering into said grooves while the latter are expanded.

6. That improvement in methods of heels of the type having a group of three closely adjacent straight breast grooves which consists in applying covering material to the portions of the breast surface ofsuch a heel adjacent to the outer sides of the outer grooves of said group,

tucking marginal portions of said coveringma terial into said outer grooves,'applying covering material to the portionsof the heel breast between said outer grooves, and simultaneously) tucking marginal portions of said covering matecovering and adjacent to the opposite side of the other 7 of said outer grooves, tucking marginal portions of said covering material into said grooves, apply:

ing other covering material to portions of said breast surface adjacent to the other sides'of said grooves, and simultaneously tucking marginal portions of the last-mentioned covering material into said grooves beside'the previously tuckedin margins of covering material; I 8. That improvement in methods of coverin portions of said covering over the middle groove in the heel breast, and simultaneously trimming the overlapped end portions of the covering along the line of the middle groove. H

a covering to the rear and sides of the heel and to the heel breast outside of said grooves, tucxmg marginal portions of said covering into the outer grooves, laying a narrow strip or panel over the heel breast material between the outer grooves, and tucking the lateral margins of said strip mm the outer grooves.

26. That improvement in methods of, covering heels of the type having two expansible cover re- 10 ceiving grooves in the heel breast, which consists in applying a cover member to the rear and. side faces of the heel and applying margins 01 said cover member to the portions of the heel breast adjacent to the outer sides of said grooves, tucking marginal portions of said cover members into said grooves, applying a separatecovering to the portion of the heel breast between said grooves, and tucking marginal portions of said separate covering into said grooves.

WILLIAM H. NUTT. 

